Administrator may get withheld Rivers allocation – FG (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government on Wednesday said that the allocation for Rivers State will be released to the Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd) when he resumes office.
Following the crisis in the state, the Supreme Court has withheld the state allocation until the State House Assembly properly appropriates the funds for usage.
However, on Tuesday President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspending the state Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the House of Assembly. Read more
Fubara, family, others vacate Rivers govt house (Vanguard)
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has vacated the Government House in Port Harcourt, along with his family and security details, following the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.
Reports indicate that Fubara left the official residence on Wednesday morning, a day after President Bola Tinubu suspended him, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
In his national broadcast on Tuesday, Tinubu justified the suspension, stating: “By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.” Read more
‘Unconstitutional, Reckless,’ Peter Obi condemns Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers (Channels)
File photo of LP’s Peter Obi
Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 presidential election Peter Obi has faulted President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
Obi in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle described the president’s decision as ‘unconstitutional and reckless’.
He said: “The unilateral decision of President Bola Tinubu to remove Governor Similaya Fubara of Rivers State from office is not only unconstitutional but also reckless. Read more
Demolition: Wike orders FCDA to allocate land to Gishiri victims (Nation)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to allocate new land to residents of Gishiri village displaced by the construction of Arterial Road N16 in Katampe District, Abuja.
During a recent meeting with stakeholders from Gishiri, Wike expressed dissatisfaction with reports from both FCDA officials and affected residents.
He pledged to visit the community for an on-site assessment. Read more
Reps in shouting match ahead of Rivers emergency rule debate (Punch)
Members of the House of Representatives engaged in a heated exchange as the green chamber prepared to debate the emergency rule in Rivers State.
PUNCH Online reports that two female members shouted at each other over the political crisis in the South-South State.
The two female lawmakers, Marie Ebikake (PDP, Bayelsa) and Blessing Amadi (PDP, Rivers), engaged in a shouting match on the constitutionality of the President’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers.
This happened before the commencement of the plenary. Read more
Tinubu meets Rivers State Sole Administrator (Sun)
President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting the newly appointed sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Vice Admiral Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, arrived at the State House at 12:50 pm for the meeting, hours after the president imposed emergency measures in the oil-rich state.
On Tuesday, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing a prolonged political crisis that has disrupted governance and threatened security. Read more
Rivers Crisis: Shehu Sani calls for political solution (NewTelegraph)
Former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has called for a political resolution to the ongoing crisis in Rivers State following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on Tuesday.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, Sani emphasized the need for a diplomatic approach to resolving the crisis, stressing that both former Governor Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara must be involved in any lasting solution.
Sani highlighted the critical roles of Wike and Fubara in restoring peace, warning that any attempt to resolve the crisis without considering both figures would be ineffective. Read more
Committee on FG’s Naira-for-crude policy meets in Abuja (Tribune)
The Committee on Naira-for-Crude is meeting this afternoon at the Ministry of Finance to discuss the policy.
According to information gathered by Nigerian Tribune, the meeting had already been scheduled for today (Wednesday) before the story broke.
We heard from the grapevine that the Nigerian Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari; Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman, Zach Adedeji; and others will be present. Read more
‘Snow White’ star Rachel Zegler ‘looking’ for sisterhood in Hollywood after rumoured Gal Gadot feud (PageSix)
Rachel Zegler is on the hunt for her very own girl gang.
The “Snow White” star said in a new interview that she hopes to find sisterhood in Hollywood and does not believe women in the entertainment industry need to see each other as rivals despite its competitive nature.
“All I’m ever really looking for in this business is a sister, and they’re not always easy to find,” she told Allure for her March 2025 cover story, published Tuesday. Read more
‘World’s ugliest animal’ is New Zealand’s fish of the year (BBC)
Don’t judge a blob by its cover.
Once dubbed the world’s ugliest animal for its soft, lumpy appearance, the blobfish has made a stunning comeback: it was crowned this week as Fish of the Year by a New Zealand environmental group.
The annual competition, held by the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust, aims to raise awareness for New Zealand’s freshwater and marine life.
This year, the blobfish took home the coveted accolade with nearly 1,300 out of more than 5,500 votes cast. Read more
Toddler found wandering streets alone with soiled diaper leads police back to shocking scene at home (ABC)
A toddler found wandering in the middle of a Florida street with a heavily soiled diaper ended up leading police to a home with extremely hazardous living conditions with the father passed out intoxicated in his bed, police say.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department in Florida responded to multiple emergency reports concerning a 2-year-old child “walking in the middle of the street in pajamas with a heavily soiled diaper,” according to a statement from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday.
Prior to the incident, witnesses say that they observed a child in the front yard of a nearby home and that they took the child to the residence where they found the child’s father, 44-year-old Ross Judy of Palm Coast, “passed out in his bed intoxicated,” police said. Read more
NASA astronauts return to Earth after 9 months: How space changes the body (AlJazeera)
It was a mission that lasted far longer than planned.
United States astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore went to space on board the Boeing Starliner Calypso on June 5, 2024. They were meant to spend eight days on the International Space Station (ISS).
But as the spacecraft was approaching the station, its thrusters malfunctioned, and NASA ordered the astronauts to remain on the ISS while figuring out how to bring them back. Read more
Gwyneth Paltrow jumps to Meghan Markle’s defence over Netflix lifestyle series (HuffPost)
Gwyneth Paltrow has spoken out in support of Meghan Markle, whose Netflix show has generated plenty of conversation in the last few weeks.
During a new interview with Vanity Fair, the Oscar winner was asked for her take on With Love, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’s first foray into lifestyle TV, which has prompted some comparisons with Gwyneth and her infamous Goop brand.
The Sliding Doors star admitted that she doesn’t know Meghan or her husband, Prince Harry, nor has she watched any of With Love, Meghan. Read more
Comedian stuns ‘America’s Got Talent’ judges by singing just one word (Upworthy)
Karaoke is a beloved pastime, whether it’s about hitting the high notes or just having a great time. But few have managed to turn a simple karaoke choice into instant viral fame—except for Andy Rowell.
His hilarious take on “Tequila” by The Champs first blew up on Vine, but it was his 2019 “America’s Got Talent” audition that truly cemented his legendary status.
When Rowell took the AGT stage, no one knew what to expect. Would he deliver an impressive vocal performance? A stand-up routine? Read more
Ajagba excited for Bakole showdown (Punch)
Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba has expressed excitement ahead of his much-anticipated showdown with Martin Bakole scheduled for May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It’s official, I’m ready to rumble. UghelliBoy, (it) is my time to shine. The Silent Roller can’t wait,” Ajagba wrote in a post on his Instagram page on Monday, uploading the official fight card poster for the ‘FATAL FURY’ fight night.
The heavyweight clash was originally scheduled to take place in New York but has been rescheduled for the undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s super middleweight championship match against William Scull. Read more
2026 World Cup qualifiers: Chelle drills Osimhen, Lookman, Ekong (Sun)
Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle had a full compliment of his team, except Alhassan Yusuf, who was still being expected last night because of connecting flight from his base in the United States.
The players had the opportunity of having an inkling of the style and pattern of play of the former Mali coach as all the 22 players were drilled on different formations by the coach and his assistants.
Meanwhile, Chelle is not taking any chances leading up to Friday’s must-win 2026 World Cup qualifier in Rwanda and so he has come out to read the riot act to the team, report scorenigeria. Read more
Henderson England recall a great move – Pickford (BBC)
Jordan Henderson’s England recall is a “great move” and the 34-year-old brings a “winning mentality” to the squad, says goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Ajax midfielder Henderson was called up for the first time since November 2023 when new manager Thomas Tuchel named him in his first England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Henderson won the first of his 81 caps in 2010 under Fabio Capello, and Tuchel has said the former Liverpool skipper “embodies everything we try to build”. Read more
Fencing Federation picks seven for World Junior Championships in China (Nation)
The Nigeria Fencing Federation has picked a seven-member squad for next month’s World Junior Fencing Championships in Wuxi, China from April 7 to 15.
Leading the team is Nigeria’s highest-ranked fencer, Inkosi Brou, who has been highly active this year, participating in numerous tournaments in his quest to become the first Nigerian to compete in the Olympic fencing event.
Brou, ranked 22nd in the junior category by the International Fencing Federation, brings a wealth of experience and is expected to guide the team in China. He will be joined by home-based fencer Wisdom Okanlawon, who will participate in the training camp preceding the tournament. Read more
What happened to the 8 wonderkids the Daily Mail tipped to be the ‘future of England’ back in 2021 (Sportsbible)
The future looked “undoubtedly bright” for England back in 2021, according to the Daily Mail, who named eight prospects that would “break through the system” and become members of the senior team.
At the time, Gareth Southgate and his backroom staff were still licking their wounds from a heartbreaking Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy – a game they lost on penalties.Still, there was plenty of optimism ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, with a number of highly-rated prospects being “destined” to eventually step out at Wembley, including Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey. Read more